The Clippers will probably need a few goals to beat the league’s highest-scoring team, but it’s the first goal of the night that might be the most fun.
The Nanaimo Clippers host their annual Teddy Bear Toss this Friday (Dec. 9) as they host the Wenatchee Wild.
Fans are asked to bring new plush toys to the rink and throw the stuffies onto the ice whenever the Clippers score their first goal. The stuffed animals will be donated to the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive.
Players like to be the one to trigger the teddy bears and Matt Creamer, Clippers alternate captain, said the guys have been talking a little bit about it.
“It’s kind of cool,” he said. “But we’re going to stay focused on our job at hand … It’s just a goal, right? It’s going to happen sometime in the game. We’re just focused on getting the win.”
The task will be tough against the Wild. The B.C. Hockey League’s only U.S. team sits second overall at 23-5-0-1 and is scoring more than five goals per game.
Playing a team they don’t often face, Creamer said the Clippers need to approach Friday’s game against the Wild as if they were facing any other opponent.
“Like anything, just stick to our systems and play a good all-around game and I think we’ll be fine,” he said.
The Clippers are feeling better about their chances these days as they climb out of a slump that lasted most of November. Nanaimo has earned four out of six points in its last three games and Creamer said last weekend’s win was much-needed.
“It had been a long time since we had a win, so getting a win did a lot for our team,” he said. “It keeps the morale high and keeps things positive. We’ve been trying to stay positive through everything, but yeah, it was huge.”
GAME ON … The Clippers play the Wild on Friday (Dec. 9) at 7 p.m. at Frank Crane Arena, then visit the Victoria Grizzlies on Sunday.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com